THAAP FOUNDING DIRECTORS
Principals and Co-founders: Prof. Sajida Haider Vandal and Prof. Pervaiz Vandal, Dr. Omar Haider Vandal and Ammr Haider Vandal.
Prof. Sajida Haider Vandal, CEO THAAP GROUP
Prof. Sajida Haider Vandal, is an architect, urban designer, cultural heritage specialist and community engagement expert with extensive experience of working in the architecture/ heritage field. As the CEO of THAAP (the only accredited NGO of UNESCO in Pakistan within the framework of Convention 2003 for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritageshe has led the Group and serves as the Lead Expert/ Director of the sub-set THAAP Heritage. Prof. Vandal has also extensive experience as an educationist. She recently stepped down as the Vice Chancellor of the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC), a federally chartered university in the private sector which she was instrumental in establishing.
Earlier, she was the Principal of the National College of Arts, Lahore for three terms of 4 years each. She served as Professor of Architecture for many years and is also UNESCO expert facilitator under the Convention 2003 for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. She has worked in many countries of the Asia Pacific region including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and China and with several international agencies including UNESCO, UNDP, USAID, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Prof. Vandal has extensive experience as design architect with an exhaustive list of innovative projects to her credit covering master planning, architectural design, conservation, adaptive reuse, heritage site planning and management including World Heritage Sites (WHS).
She has co-authored the Master/ Management Plan for the WHS Shalamar Garden Lahore, a UNESCO-Government of the Punjab-Getty Foundation joint initiative as well as the restoration of three structures within the garden. Other works include technical inputs in the Development of the Management Plan for the WHS Lahore Fort, a UNESCO-GoPunjab-Norway funded project and Conservation Strategy Plans for important heritage premises such as Katas Raj, Red Fort Muzaffarabad, AJK and Safeguarding of the Traditional Built Heritage of the Leepa Valley in AJK. In the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Prof. Vandal has played a key role in safeguarding ICH particularly through her work in the creative and cultural sector over the last over 50 years. Her latest works include the Government of Punjab – World Bank funded projects within the framework of cultural tourism, “Development of an Integrated Site Management Plan (ISMP) and Capacity Building for Sustainable Tourism Management of Selected Sikh Sites,”and the ongoing; “Intergrated Site Management Plan for Qilla Kohna Qasim Bagh; Multan and Capacity Building for Sustainable Tourism.” Prof. Vandal’s design practice among others includes the Mira Phailbus Center, Kinnaird College, Lahore. Her published works includes the seminal, “The Raj, Lahore and Bhai Ram Singh,” “Cultural Expressions of South Punjab” and “Conservation of Shalimar Garden.”
Prof. Pervaiz Vandal, Managing Director THAAP
Prof. Pervaiz Vandal is a well-known educationist and architect / planner. He is the managing director of THAAP and served as the founder Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Institute for Art and Culture (IAC), which he was instrumental in establishing. He served as an Advisor and Founder of the Department of Architecture at COMSATS University. He also headed the Department of Architecture at University of Engineering and Technology (UET) , Lahore. He was a consultant to World Bank for health and education projects, in particular Family Health Projects, mid-term review involving assessment of project planning, implementation, modifications and specific target for the remaining years; study on Maintenance and Repair of Schools in Pakistan for Multi-Donor Support Unit for Social Action Program, World Bank Resident Mission in Pakistan; Consultant to World Bank mission for Education Sector Institutional Reforms (ESIR) in Pakistan; the projects aimed to enhance access to education facilities through construction of elementary schools in all the provinces of Pakistan.
Prof. Vandal has over 50 years of experience of designing landmark buildings and developing master plans for educational campuses ranging from schools to universities. He has to his credit the spectacular campus of the Institute of Art and Culture, Lahore, several of the campuses of the Grammar Schools in Lahore and Islamabad. He was responsible for the design of new additions to Kinnaird College for Women Campus in Lahore and to the FCC University at Lahore. Prof. Vandal’s forte is heritage site planning and area conservation. The sensitive interventions that he has planned in several of the historic/ heritage premises such as the campuses of Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore and Forman Christian College (a chartered university) has ensured that the campuses have retained their original ambience in spite of several new buildings being added and adaptive reuse of many of the old buildings which had served their purpose. Prof. Vandal’s recent works include the Integrated Site Management Plan for two Gurdwaras in the Punjab which he steered as the team leader and the ongoing ISMP for Qilla Kohna Qasim Bagh in the capacity of Co-team leader and Heritage Site Plan. His ongoing Architectural design projects include the Library for Kinnaird College Lahore & Lahore Grammar School Campus at Sui Gas Housing Society.
Prof. Pervaiz Vandal is also the Director of THAAP Publications and the Series Editor of the THAAP Journal. He is widely published in national and international journals and has several books and chapters in books to his credit.
